


Alternate View

by Sephypsycologist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, i let papyrus say fuck, language warning, papy is an adult dang it let him swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 15:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17900579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephypsycologist/pseuds/Sephypsycologist
Summary: Inspired by a post on tumblr (link in future)Papyrus is an adult. Let's let him act like one.





	Alternate View

You really weren’t surprised.

Sans had been gone a lot more and that meant…well, it meant Papyrus could let go.

And him letting go usually ended like this.

“HUMAN I’M NOT A…IN…A NOT VALID PERSON. I CAN WALK.”

He could not. He was drunk and leaning heavily on your shoulder.

“Papyrus, you are leaning on me. I am taking you home so you can sleep this off.”

“I’M TOO GOOD FOR SLEEP! AND YOU’RE NOT COMFY TO LEAN ON DESPITE BEING….SMUSHY.” He pushed you, or tried to, but ended up shoving the air.

“Yeah, sure. We’re almost there.”

“UGH….WHERE’D YOU HIDE MY CIGARETTES?”

“I didn’t hide them, they’re in your coat across your shoulder. But you aren’t sober enough to smoke right now.” You didn’t want him setting himself on fire AGAIN.

“SOUND LIKE MY BROTHER….’N I HATE HIM.”

“No you don’t, Papyrus.” You open the door to his house with the key you’d wrestled from his hands earlier when he fell over at the bar.

“I DO THOUGH. SOMETIMES I REALLY DO.” You hear the tears starting, and you sigh. This was just how it went with Papyrus when he got sloshed. First he’s falling all over himself, then he’s sobbing until he goes to sleep. It wasn’t your first rodeo as his designated friend, and it wouldn’t be your last, probably.

“Why then?” You guide him to the sofa and he drapes his lanky body all over it.

“BECAUSE HE’S TOO PERFECT. HE’S SMART AND, *hic* AND FUNNY AND EVERYBODY, *sniff* EVERYBODY LOVE SHIM. NOBODY LIKES ME, MUCH LESS LOVES ME.” Slight slur there. You’d have to watch him close. Even monsters could get sick from too much alcohol, or dizzying magic in this case.

“I like you. Undyne likes you.” You fold his coat and help him get his shoes off, or, actually, get his shoes off while he lays there limply.

“NOOOO, UNDYNE THINKS I’M A CHILD. EVERYBODY ON THE SURFACE DOES. YOU EVEN DOTE ON ME AND YOU’VE SEEN ME AT MY FUCKING WORST.” Oooh, now we were swearing to prove our ‘coolness’. He really was feeling miserable.

“Papyrus. I do not dote on you. I make sure you get home safe when you can no longer think straight.”

“MONSTERS AREN’T STRAIGHT ANYWAY!”

“Yes, I know that. But why do you think everybody thinks you’re a child?” You sit on the end cushion, moving his legs to go across your lap instead of one on the back of the couch and the other hanging off.

“BECAUSE I HAVE TO ACT LIKE ONE OR YOU HUMANS WILL GO NUTS.”

“I thought you were just being polite?” you’re confused.

“I AM. BUT I ALWAYS HAVE TO BE.” He sobs, curling in on himself, “I HAVE TO HIDE MY SMOKING, HIDE MY DRINKING, HIDE MY ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND JUST SO I DON’T MAKE A MISTAKE. SANS CAN MAKE ALL THE MISTAKES IN THE WORLD AND NOBODY CARES, BUT I CAN’T EVER OR PEOPLE GET UPSET.”

“Papyrus, why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? I’d try and help you figure this out.” You’d been his buddy for six months, and the only person he trusted to go drinking with him. Even though you only did so for his sake, and you were a tea-totaler yourself.

He whined, softly, “BECAUSE THEN YOU’D THINK I WAS STUPID JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES. AND YOU DON’T CODDLE ME LIKE THEY DO YET.”

“Okay, well, tell me more. Vent for me, sexy bones.” You’d hit on him when you saw him the first time and he’d cried. Now you knew why. That may have been the first time anyone looked at him as an adult for a long while.

“UNDYNE WOULDN’T LET ME IN THE GUARD BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T TRUST MY JUDGEMENT. EVEN IF I WAS THE STRONGEST MONSTER IN SNOWDIN, AND THE BEST AT MAGIC CONTROL, AND ACTUALLY KNEW WHEN TO STOP B-BEFORE SOMEONE DIED. SHE WANTED ME TO JUST GO AHEAD AND KILL INSTEAD AND THAT’S JUST WRONG!”  
“It is. You’re right and I’m kind of surprised and disappointed in her now that I know.” You were, really. Was that really what it had been like Underground? Just kill first and ask questions later?

“I KNOW! AND…AND I’M GLAD YOU AGREE WITH ME. HERE,” He just….made a tugging motion with his hand and there was your soul, out in the open, and you couldn’t do anything. “THERE. NOW…NOW YOU CAN’T LIE. I CAN SEE IT IF YOU DO. I WANT TO TRUST YOU.”

“o-okay, if that’s what you need.” You knew he’d be mortified about this in the morning, but you really felt he needed this reassurance if it took getting this drunk for him to confess all this.

“I DO. CAN…CAN I PLEASE SMOKE? I’M SHAKY….” He was shuddering a bit, and you sighed and nodded.

You got his lighter and his cigs out of his coat pocket, bringing them back with you. “You’re lucky you can write the smell off as incense, y’know.”

“I DO. HUMANS ARE WONDERFUL EXCUSES TO BE REBELLIOUS.” Lavender smoke filled the air and he relaxed visibly. This was how he kept his cool when you weren’t here. He’d told you as much on another walk home from the bar. Sneaking off using his special powers to find quiet places to steady his nerves with the sweet scented indulgence. He was strong, but he’d been strong for a very long time and it had left its mark deeper than even you knew.

“I JUST…” His voice was still choked with tears, dribbles of orange sliding down his cheekbones, “SANS STILL SAYS THINGS TO ME LIKE I’M A BABY, WHEN I MAKE A JOKE, HE NEVER REACTS AND I HAVE TO LAUGH AT MYSELF BEFORE I CRY. PEOPLE TAKE MY DRAMATICS SERIOUSLY ABOUT HIS PUNS AND IGNORE THAT I LIKE THEM TOO. I’M AN ADULT. I HAVEN’T WORN STRIPES FOR YEARS AND…AND THEY ACT LIKE I’M THE SAME AGE AS FRISK. GOD FORBID THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THE PRETEND DATE WE HAD OR THEY’LL CALL THE POLICE ON ME. HONESTLY, THAT DATING HUD IS FOR TEENAGERS AS A DISTRACTION, NO ONE TAKES IT SERIOUSLY, BUT HUMANS DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT.”

“Oh stars, Papy,” you feel and see your soul pulse. That was awful. He’d had to live like that for how long?

“RIGHT?! I KNOW IT’S HIDEOUS, BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW TO STOP IT.” He sighs and purple smoke clouds out of his nose and mouth, the remainder filtering out of his shirt collar from his ribs. That was honestly hot, but now wasn’t the time to voice your attraction.

“I’VE TRIED. I THOUGHT BEING A GUARD WOULD STOP IT, BUT THEY ACTED LIKE I WAS JUST PLAYING SOLDIER. I THOUGHT BEING THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR MY PEOPLE WOULD STOP IT, BUT NO. NOW I HAVE TO WATCH EVERY STEP I TAKE AND WORD I SAY AND…I CAN’T FUCKING TAKE THIS ANYMORE. IT’S SHIT AND NOBODY EVEN TAKES ME SERIOUSLY ENOUGH TO WONDER IF I’M OKAY WITH THE WAY THEY’RE TREATING ME.” And suddenly he’s hugging you and your soul is inches from his hand and you just…let him melt into you. “I WANT TO BE FREE, BUT I’M MORE TRAPPED THAN EVER AND…and you’re the only one who…who actually believes in me like I try so hard to believe in everyone else. Please don’t stop.”

“I won’t.” you nuzzle your cheek into his skull, “Papyrus you’re smart and intensely loyal and…so so giving. But you’re giving too much, okay? Start with Frisk. They’re a good kid and they’ll help you. Tell them how you’re feeling.”

“I’ll try.” He’d lost the will to even remain uppercase. “And who next?”

“Probably Asgore.” You say softly, seeing the reflection of your soul and his cigarette end in the TV screen. “He knows a lot, and his expertise can help you.”

“Okay.” Now he sounds sleepy and you smile.

“And Papyrus?”

“Hm?” he puts out the cigarette on his arm like it’s nothing, and for him it is.

“Don’t forget to call me if it gets too much, okay?”

“I won’t…n’m sorry for pulling your soul out. Friends?”

“Always.” And you feel his pull release your soul, letting it sink back into place.

You wait until he snores before you kiss his skull with all the tenderness in your heart. Because you love him, flaws and all. All the frustrated angry things he says when drunk, all the giving till it hurts him, all the quiet moments you’d found him in a remote corner with a look of anxiety on his face and a lavender smoke held in shaky fingers. But he wasn’t ready for that, and you weren’t’ going to push him.

Because he was your everything, and you knew he could find a way on his own. And he’d resent someone trying to hold his hand, especially with what he had told you now. You had to let him go and see if he’d come back on his own.


End file.
